Tire cover



Oct. 28, 1930. T. J. MCCORMICK TIRE COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1928 Bijw INVENTQR. W

ATTORNEY Oct. 28, 19310. T. J. MCCORMICK TIRE COVER Filed Feb. 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DOOOQOO ATTORNEY.

Passed a 28, 1930 PATENT OFFICE UNITED: STATES THOMAS J. ICCOBIICK, OI DETROIT, HIlIOHIGAN TIRE-COVER Application fled February 13, 1928. Serial Io. 258,981.

The present invention relates to tire covers The conventional cover has in its free edge which is to be contracted, usually a continuous ring of either elastic cord or. acoil spring. In such covers, it is usual to use a spring or elastic ring of.sulficient strength to stretch the tread'coverin strips tightly over the tire tread so astoma e it present a com-- paratively smooth appearance.

In such covers, using such elastic rings, it is sometimes quite diflicult to applythe cover to the tire so as to have it resent the smooth appearance that is desira le because of the.

' resistance ofiered by the It-is also sometimes quite difiicult to remove'these covers from the tire for the same reason, as the ring causes the free edge to press tightly agamst the tire and particularly in the larger 80 sizes wherein quite strong springs are u 1 WhlCh Wlll he smoothl overthe tire. Such this difliculty 1s quite noticeable.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide nieans for securing this free edge in proper position without the necessity of having to overcome the resistance of the spring rings and to provide for easy application'and removal of the cover.

Other objects will readily occur-to those skilledin the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, shows attire cover. with the tire therein and including one embodiment of the 5 present invention;

Figure 2, is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 1 with partiof the cover removed to show the construction;

Figure 3, is a section on line 3-3 of Fig-- ure 1; y

'my copending application, Serial Number Figure 4, is an enlarged view of a Figure 2 with parts in section;

Figures 5 and 6 are two more or less diagrammatic views showing a modified form of the device; Figure 7 illustrates a second modification ofthe fastening means;

Figure 8 is a view of a cover similar to Figure 1 showing another embodiment of the structure of F igure 1;

7 Figures 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views of other modifications of the fastening means.

The present invention is particularly suitable for such tire covers as are described. in

part of 251,039, filed February 1, 1928, on tire covers, but is also adaptable to other forms of cover. In the prior application a tire cover is described in which the face piece or circular fabric member of the cover is maintained in a distended and smooth condition by means of a comparatively stiif ring sewed into'its edge an therefore does not need to be stretched tilglhtly over the tread of the tire in order that t e cover may resent a smooth appearance. Because of t is lack of necessity for stretching the cover, it has been found that very lig t springs or a non-elastic element may be used in the free edge of the cover to contract the same and still have a cover an element is indicate in the present application and shown in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, a tire 20 mounted upon a suitable rim 21, is indicated in Figure 1 as covered b a cover indicated a as a whole by the numera 25.' This particular cover comprises a circular face piece 22 having sewed to its edge the tread iece 23 and having a second strip 24 sewe to the edge of t strip 23. In the particular cover shown, about one halt of the strip 24 will be cut so as to fit the half of the tire tread.

This part of the strip is indicated at 24. The other half 24 of the strip is separate from and secure it in place. This operation is ac- .complished by means of a wire 30 which may extend completely around the free edges of the parts 24 and 25 or may be secured atsay about the point 31 on strip 24 and extend along the free edge of part 24 to and beyond the junction 32 between the two strip por tions.

This free end of wire will be provided with a suitable enlarged end 33 to permit easy manipulation of the wire and to prevent the end entering the hem in which the wire will lie or passing the fastener.

In Figures 1 to 4, the anchored end of the wire is at the fastening means 35 and extends completely around .the cover and at its anchored end is connected to a short piece of spring 36, which, in turn, is connected to a. tab or link 37 serving to connect the spring to the fastening means. The free end 33 of the wire extends beyond the fastening means for a distance of six or eight inches when the cover is in place, or a sufficient distance to permit fully opening the cover without the free end of the wire disappearing into the hem.

The fastening means consists in the present modification, of a screw stud 40 passing through a grommet 41 and provided at its inner end with an opening for the passage of wire 30. The other end of the stud 40 is threaded into a suitable thumb nut 42, which, when rotated, draws the stud 40 through the grommet and presses the wire ti htly against the lower side thereof so as to fix it in position. The grommet passes through the hem 43 of the cover and serves to hold the fastening means and likewise to anchor the link piece 37 holding the end of wire 30 or the end of spring 36.

In the use of this particular cover in placing it on the tire, the wire 30 will be pushed into the hem 43 sufiiciently to spread open the portion 24 of the securing strip. The upper half of the cover with the formed strip 24 will then be placed over the tire and when this has been done, the open half may be easily pulled over the lower part of the tire. Vhen the cover is thus in position, the wire 30 will be drawn out of the hem so as to draw the portion 24 of the securing strip tightly over the tire and contract it sufficiently to hold the cover in place. The nut may then be tightened to hold the wire.

One advantage of this particular type of fastening means is that it may be used to hold the cover open as well as hold it closed.

'hile a short piece of spring 36 has been shown as interposed in the length of wire 30, this will not be necessary in most cases, but is desirable when the covers are being made of rather heavy stifl' fabric.

F igure'3 shows one of the features referred to as being covered by the preceding application. In this figure, a distending element is shown at 45 in the form of a piece of spring wire and at 46 is indicated a cord servingto maintain the form of the opening in the circular face piece of the cover.

Figure 8, shows a tire cover similar to that of Figure 1, except that a piece of wire 30 18 used, which is of a length just a little more than half the periphery of the free edge of the cover. In this cover, the same portions 24 and 24 of the securing strip are shown and two fastening means 35 are used, one at each end of the strip 24. One advantage of this type of cover is that the strip 24" may be contracted from both ends and a somewhat more uniform contraction obtained thereby.

Figures 7 and 10 show fastening means adapted to be used as the equivalent of the fastening means 35. In Figure 7, the anchored end of wire 30 is shown as connected to a short piece of metal rod 50 provided with an eye in each end. The free end of wire 30 passes through one of these eyes and the other end of the wire is looped through the other eye and fastened, as indicated at 51. In this particular device so long as the piece 50 is held in a radial position with respect to the cover, the wire 30 will pass freely through its eye but as soon as the piece 50 is allowed to move angularly out of such radial position, the wire 30 will be held firmly.

In Figure 10, the free end of wire 30 is shown as passing through openings in a flat piece of spring steel 54 which has been back upon itself as at 53 to form a V with the openings registered, and having the two sides 55 of the V curved outwardly so that by pressing them together, the openings mentioned will align and permit the wire to pass freely therethrough. However, as soon as the pressure is relieved, the sides 55 will spread apart and the wire will be gripped. In this figure, the short connecting spring 36 is shown as anchored to the flat steel spring near the apex 53 thereof.

Figure 9, shows a somewhat modified form of the device in which the continuous ring 30 is used with a short piece of spring 3(5 interposed therein. This ring 30 will be anchored at a'suitable point, as at 30, and a fastening device indicated at 35 located a short distaance from the anchoring means will be use In addition a second piece of wire (30 will be connected to that end of spring 36 nearest the fastener 35 and extending to the outside of the containing hem near the latter. In this form of the device the fastener may be used only to hold open the cover after the ring has been enlarged by stretching spring 36.

Figure 5 shows still another form of spreader and contractor in which the contracting wire 30 will be free in the hcm and have at each end a rack piece 70, preferably narrow strip of metal having perforations 71 acting as teeth. COacting with these strips or racks will be a gear 7-. mounted in suitis to be limited, not by the specific disclosure able fashionat a suitable point on the hem of-the cover, and rotatable to expand or contract the ring 30.

Now having described the invention and the preferred forms of embodiment thereof it is to be understood that the said invention herein but only by thescope ofthe claim which follows.

I claim In a tirecover having a free edge adapl'e ed to be expanded and contracted to permit entering and maintaining a tire therein, a length of smooth spring wire enclosed in said edge with one end extending therefrom, means for fixing the other end to said edge, and clamping means fixed to said edgenear the free end of said wire where it protrudes from said edge and adapted to secure said wire in longitudinally adjusted osition.

THOMAS J. McC RMICK. 

